Southern Kaduna Killings: El-Rufai Appeal For Calm, Orders Arrest Of Mastermind

Mallam-Nasir-El-Rufai

The Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has called on the residents of Chawai chiefdom in Kauru Local Government Area of the state to remain calm and allow the law to take its course following an attack by suspected Fulani herdsmen that left more than 38 people dead.

 

The governor made the appeal when he paid a condolence visit to the affected communities on Monday.

Meanwhile El-Rufai, who was accompanied by the Secretary to the State Government, Baralabe Abbas-Lawal, members of the State Security Council as well as other top government functionaries has ordered the immediate arrest of one Haruna, a Fulani herdsman, accused of being the mastermind behind the attack on the four communities, viz; Kigam, Ungwan Rimi, Ungwan Magaji .

The killings came barely 24 hours after the unveiling of an ‘apology billboard’ at Samaru-Kataf to signal the return of peace to the southern part of the state.

A disagreement over a disputed land triggered the violence.

The said Haruna was fingered by the villagers as one of the prime masterminds of the attack and  was said to have relocated from the area to escape arrest.

El-Rufai, while addressing the villagers at the Chawai Primary School, where Internally Displaced Persons,  numbering over 500 were camped, directed Haruna to turn up himself to Fulani chiefs (Ardo) in the area or be arrested by security operatives in the state.

“He should be arrested by security agents to come and tell us his grievances why what happened should happen; why human lives should be taken as animals,” El-Rufai said in Hausa language.

The governor, who described the attack as barbaric and unfortunate, insisted that the perpetrators must be brought to book, maintaining that his administration would not condone such heinous act.